Index to

On the Parasitism of Orobranche Major

by

Edward Parfitt

Trans. Devon Assoc., vol. 2, Part 1, (1867), illus., pp. 256-262.

Prepared by Michael Steer

This paper was presented at the Association’s July 1867 Barnstaple meeting. It is a typical example of scientific research methodology in the period between Linnaeus and Darwin, with its emphasis on taxonomy. The paper is of use to the genealogist since it provides the reader with names of several Naturalists of the period, of whom many were internationally celebrated. The paper’s topic, the Orobanche, is better known as broomrape with a genus of over 200 species of small parasitic herbaceous plants, mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Those studied by the author were found in the vicinity of Exeter. Mr Parfitt was a self-made man of science, originally from Norfolk, but who settled in Exeter. His obituary with a list of his major publications may be accessed here. The Paper, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.